Nadia Mukami: How Jay Z Inspired Her to Build a Business Empire

Kenyan artiste Nadia Mukami has plans to build a business empire inspired by American celebrity Jay Z. Before he became a business mogul, Jay Z was one of rap music’s best rhymers, and his disheartening diss track, Take Over, directed at another US rapper, Nas, showed he wasn’t a man you’d want to cross. Nadia, who is a finance expert by training, an entertainer by practice, a philanthropist, a businesswoman, and a mother, admires Jay Z’s vast, steadily growing kingdom that encompasses liquor, art, real estate, and stakes in companies like Uber and Spotify. Nadia has already established Sevens Creative Hub, which started in 2019 at a servant’s quarters where she lived as an up-and-coming musician, and has grown to be the mother company to four of her current businesses.
“I follow Jay Z a lot with the intention of learning because we are in the same space. We are both entertainers,” says Nadia. “I mean, if you cared to listen to his chat on (American comedian and actor) Kevin Hart’s chat show Hart to Heart, Jay Z speaks of the importance of having multiple streams of income.”
Nadia thinks that too many artistes focus on spending their earnings on having fun rather than investing. She believes this mentality is laden with risks, and life can take unexpected turns. Jay Z’s empire has over 2,000 permanent employees, while Nadia’s Sevens Creative Hub has 25 employees, and she plans to increase this number soon.
Sevens Creative Hub comprises a recording studio, a video editing suite, a photography studio, and a cozy waiting lounge, among other facilities. Nadia’s next “big” project will soon be launched, and she hopes to emulate Peter Nduati, who made his money from the insurance industry and music via his Pine Creek Records label, and Myke Rabar, the Homeboyz Entertainment CEO, who is the first and only entertainment company listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
Nadia’s musical accolades and streaming plaques compete for space on the wall shelves of her well-lit, delicately furnished apartment that doubles as her company’s headquarters. She believes that learning from Jay Z’s blueprint will help her become not only one of the best musicians but also one of the handfuls of entertainers to become dollar billionaires.